Rack



March 21, 196 1 J. VAN DER TOGT RACK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 14, 1960 INVENT R JAN VAN DER TOGT Q KM RACK

Jan van der Togt, Zwijndrecht, Netherlands, assignor to Tornado N.V., Dordrecht, Netherlands Filed Mar. 14, 1960, Ser. No. 14,950 Claims priority, application Netherlands Mar. 14, 1959 2 Claims. (Cl. 211-74) This invention relates to a rack comprising superposable elements, and has for its main object to provide a rack, the elements of which are adapted to be stacked one upon the other so as to form a stable stack, but are individually collapsible.

In accordance with this invention side walls are pivotally secured to two opposite side edges of the supporting structure of each element, said side walls resiliently gripping with an inwardly bent edge into an opening provided at the side edges of the supporting structure of an adjacent element.

The side walls may have the shape of a frame and the supporting structure of the element may be provided with two transverse rods at its opposite side edges, said rods defining a slit-like opening, each frame-like side wall being pivotally secured to one of said transverse rods and gripping with its inwardly bent edge into the slit-like opening formed between the rods of an adjacent element.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be elucidated with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an element of an embodiment of the rack according to this invention, said element being placed upon a support;

Fig. 2 represents in perspective part of an element of another embodiment; and v Fig. 3 illustrates the manner of engagement of two superposed elements of the embodiment shown in Fig. 2.

The racks shown in the drawing are destined for supporting bottles. In the embodiment according to Fig. 1 the supporting structure of the element comprises a frame bent from a wire, the opposite side edges 1 of said frame being bent downwards. To the longitudinal rods 2 and 3 of this fiame U-shaped supporting members 4 are secured by welding; said members 4 are bent from a wire and can each receive a bottle. The longitudinal rods 2 and 3 are reinforced by a rod 5 welded thereto and which can be prestressed so as to prevent the longitudinal rods from sagging.

The longitudinal rod 3 is corrugated and its tops 6 form abutments for the bottles so as to prevent them from sliding from the rack even if the supporting members 4 are sloping backwards.

A rod 7 is provided above each transverse rod 1 of the supporting structure. The rod 7 at one side of the element has a central downward bend 8. A U-shaped frame 26 bent from a wire engages each rod 7 with loops 9 at its vertical sides 27 and forms a side wall; each frame 26 is bent inwardly at its lower edge 10. When the end edges 10 of these frames are removed from the slits formed between the transverse rods 1, 7 of the underlying element the frames are converging due to the 2 arrangement of the rods 1 and 7 with respect to each other and to the shape of the legs 27 of. the U-shaped frames 26. However, when the frames 26 are to be hooked with their end edges 10 into an underlying element the frames are resiliently bent outwards so that the element is firmly clamped onto the underlying element. The end rod 10 of one of the side frames has a central bend 11; the bends 8 and 11 at this side of the rack permit the elements to be stacked upon each other in one position only, thus preventing the elements from being stacked in the wrong manner.

In the way described several elements may be stacked one upon the other so as to form a stable stack.

As indicated in Fig. 1 the lowermost element can be placed upon asupport in a similar manner. This support comprises a frame 12 having sides constituted by transverse rods 13, 14 defining a slit into which the end edge 10 of the side frames of the element can be hooked.

In the embodiments shown in the Figs. 2 and 3 the supporting structure of each element comprises two wire frames 15, 16 interconnected by the bottle supports 17 constituted by wires 29 welded to the frames 15, 16. Frame 15 is provided with a bend 19 at its side edge 18, similar to the bend 8 of the first embodiment.

In the embodiment according to the Figs. 2 and 3 the side walls are also frame-like and comprise a substantially U-shaped wire having legs 28, the free ends of which form loops 20 for pivotally securing the side frame to the side edge 18 of frame 15 of the supporting structure. The end edge 21 of each side frame is bent in wardly and is provided with a bend 22, similar to the bend 11 of the embodiment according to Fig. 1. The end edge 21 can resiliently engage a slit formed between the side edge 18 of frame 15 and the side edge 23 of frame 16.

The free ends 24 of the U-shaped wire of the side frame extend in the direction of the inwardly bent edge 21 as far as a distance corresponding to the thickness of the wire forming the frame 15. Accordingly, the side edge 18 of frame 15 of an element is confined between the inwardly bent edge 21 and the free ends 24 of the wire forming the frame-like side wall of the adjacent element whereby the stability of the stack of elements is enhanced.

It will be apparent that this invention is not limited to the embodiments shown. For example, each element may be carried out in such a manner that its side walls are directed upwards and are engaged with openings in the supporting structure of an element above, instead of below the element in question. Such and other modifications are within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A rack comprising superposed members, connected together and each including a supporting structure having a pair of transverse rods at opposite edges, each pair of said rods defining a slit-like opening, and further having two frame-like side wall members at said opposite edges, each of said side wall members being pivotally secured to one rod of the corresponding pair of rods and having an inwardly bent portion resiliently engaging one of the transverse rods of an adjacent member.

2. A rack comprising superposed members connected together and each including a supporting structure having a pair of transverse rods at opposite edges, each pair of said rods defining a slit-like opening, and further having two frame-like side wall members at said opposite edges,

each of said side wall members having an inwardly bent portion resiliently engaging one of the transverse rods of an adjacent member, and each of said side wall members comprising a wire substantially bent in the shape of a U, the free ends of the legs of said U being bent back so as to form loops pivotally engaging one of said transverse rods, and extending in the direction of said inwardly bent edge as far as a distance substantially corresponding with the thickness of said one transverse rod.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Wills Oct. 29, 1918 Barbier Nov. 26, 1957 James July 22, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS France l Nov. 16, 1955 

